The US has sanctioned former SriLankan Airlines CEO Kapila Chandrasena for allegedly accepting bribes in the purchase of Airbus aircraft. The sanctions include his family and freeze his assets in the US.
The US State Department announced the sanctions on the eve of International Anti-Corruption Day and Human Rights Day, covering several countries.
The sanctions targeted Kapila Chandrasena, the former CEO of SriLankan Airlines, and family for allegedly accepting bribes to purchase Airbus aircraft at above market value. North Macedonia’s former deputy prime minister Artan Grubi, the country’s appeals court judge Enver Bexheti and Marshall Islands parliamentarian Kevin Kedi were also sanctioned for alleged bribery.
In addition, Fawaz Akhras, the British-born father of Syria’s ousted leader Bashar al-Assad’s British-born wife, was reinstated on the sanctions list for providing financial support to Assad. Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga, was accused of corruption in the purchase of MiG aircraft for the Sri Lankan Air Force and was sanctioned along with his family.
In 2020, Sri Lanka launched an investigation into allegations of bribery in the sale of Airbus aircraft to state-run airline SriLankan Airlines. At the time, a Colombo court issued an arrest warrant for Chandrasena and his wife Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake on suspicion of money laundering.
The US State Department, in close cooperation with the UK, also announced sanctions against nine individuals and 19 entities linked to a Zimbabwe-based gold and diamond corruption network. In addition, the head of the Houthi National Prisoners Committee, Abdul Kader al-Murtadha, was sanctioned for links to torture, while visa restrictions were imposed on seven individuals accused of undermining peace and security in the West Bank. Sanctions include freezing of assets in the US and US visa bans.
